Method of and means for loading packages in bound units



March 12, 1929.

y. F. HINTZ T5015 0! AND MEANS FOR LOADiNG PACKAGES IN 8011*!) UNITSFiled Nov. 11, 1925 2 Shoots-Sheet INVENTOR BY Z.].' 121127152 My,

AT ORNEY L. F. HINTZ 1,705,059

METHOD OF AID BANS FOR LOADING PACKAGES BOUND UNITS March 12, 1929.

Filed Nov. 11, 1925 2 SheetsP-Shon 2 D 3 fin; W

v A v Q Q D Y A IN VEN TOR lj'jifizgiz nuiviili'llilillfili'iltlliti AORNE Y IIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Mar. 12,1929.

UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY F. HINTZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOTHE GERRARD COMPANY, WARE.

INC. OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- METHOD OF AND MEANSFOR LOADING PACKAGES IN BOUND UNITS.

Application filed November 11, 1925. Serial No. 68,421.

This invention relates to a method and means for assembling and securingpackages, bales, boxes, bundles and the like of merchandise, cargoes,etcetcra, for shipment.

The object of the invention is to provide a method of and means forassembling and securing individual packages, bales, boxes, bundles andthe like of any and all sorts, of merchandise, cargoes, etcetera, forfreight or other shipment on freight or other cars, boats, ships orcarriers generally, in such manner as to reduce and eliminate damage,injury or loss due to relative movement, impact or impingement of theindividual box, pack-age, bundl or the like, upon or against adjacentones, or upon or against the walls of the carrier, under the influenceof shocks, jars, jolts or other movements of the carrier while intransit.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the steps or combination ofsteps, constituting the method, and in the parts and combinations ofparts and arrangement thereof constituting the means, all as will bemore fully hereinafter set companying drawings, and finally pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings;

'wherein like numerals designate like parts in all the views;

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a plurality of individual packagesbound or secured together into a mass assembly to form a shipping unit,in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken sectional plan view of a carrier provided with anumber of shipping or loading units each consisting of a mass assemblyof individual packages or the like that have been assembled and boundtogether in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a greater number of massassemblies of individual merchandise packages assembled and boundtogether in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken detail view in horizontal sectionillustrating the manner of applying the binding means to one end portionof the individual shipping cases or bales or the like.

forth, as illustrated in the ac- Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional viewillustrating the manner of applying a binder means to one of a.plurality of individual shipping packages or bales to be assembled andbound together with others in accord- .ancelwi-t h the invention, and

f Fig: 6 is a detached broken detail View in elevation of a portion ofone form of binder, holder or spacing member capable of use in carryingout my invent-ion.

In my prior application, Serial No. 56,741, filed September 16, 1925, Ihave shown, described and claimed broadly a method and means forassembling merchandise packages and binding the same together for shipment purposes. The present invention is an improvement upon thestructure and arrangement disclosed and claimed in said application.

It is well known that merchandise packages, boxes, bales, barrels andthe like, loaded onto cars, boats, ships, trucks, etcetera, ortransportation, and particularly such merchandise packages which areloaded on freight or other cars for transportation to distant points,are subjected to various movements and strains on account of movements,shocks, jolts and jars to which the carrier while in transit issubjected. For example, when a train of freight cars or when a carloaded with merchandise is being switched from one track to another, oris being handled in the making up of trains, such cars are subjected tosevere bumps or jolts which frequently are suflicient to overcomeinertia of the individual packages, boxes, etcetera, of merchandise withwhich such carrier is loaded. -It thus ha pens that said individualpackages are urge with considerable force towards and against each otherand also toward and against the end or side walls of the carrier, withthe result that the individual packages constituting the load are liableto be injured or crushed between or against adjacent members of the loador such individual packages, particularly the extreme end packages ofthe load, that is, those located adjacent the ends of the carrier arecaused to be impinged or to be crowded or crushed against the end orside walls, as the case may be, of the carrier from the effects of theaccumulated impacts from the other packages constituting the load,

which are imparted or transmitted to the end or exterior packages, asthe shocks and jolts occur. The result is that on arrival of the cargoor shipment at its destination, and as a result of the shocks, jars,jOlts and the like received during transit, it frequentl happens thatthe cargo is very substantia ly and materially injured resulting ingreat loss. Indeed, experience has shown that very great losses in theshipment of merchandise are experienced from these causes. In fact, theshipping records of the railroads reveal the remarkable fact that it isseldom, particularly in the case of long hauls, that the trans portedcargo arrives at its destination in unimpaired condition. This difliculttherefore, presents a very serious pro lem of transportation to whichlittle successful effort apparently has heretofore been directed in theattempt to remedy the same. For the most part, the efforts which havebeen made have been along lines such as the use of timbering and laggingfor the purpose of rig idly clamping or securing the packages in lace onthe carrier against any movement. t'uch methods not only are expensive,consuming time in their application, and are laborious to employ butthey also add weight to the loaded carrier and they more or less mar andinjure the interior surface or walls of the carrier. Moreover, suchmethods do not contemplate any form of movement of the cargo, and henceby reason of the load or cargo being rigidly secured, such cargo issubjected to greater strains than it would otherwise be subjected to ifpermitted mass movement within reasonable limits. The lagging ortimbering method which heretofore has been the method most commonlyemployed, has proven to be particularly objcetionable for the reasonsabove set forth and also for the reason that such method has been shownby experience to result in very great injury to the floor and walls andsometimes roof of the carrier, as for instance, in the case of freightcars, resulting from the removal of the heavy spikes by means of whichthe lagging or bolstering timbers are nailed and secured in place.

The present invention is particularly designed to overcome and avoid theobjections above noted and to provide a method of and means forassembling and securing merchandise packages for shipment in such amanner as to permit a more or less elastic movement of such packages inmass but preventing undue relative movement of the individual elementsof the mass assembly.

In carrying out my invention, the cargo to be transported in the form ofindividual elements or packages are assembled in a group or massassembly and are bound or secured together in such massassembly so as toprevent or reduce the tendency of relative movement of individualelements in the mass assembly but which will permit slight movement ofthe assembly as a whole unit, such assembly being of a weight whichnormally tends to maintain or retain the mass assembly in place,notwithstanding such mass assembly is wholly detached from the end wallsor sides of the carrier. In other words, in accordance with my presentinvention, I propose to bind together a plurality of individual elementsor members of boxes, packages, bales or the like of merchandise into amass assembly without any means other than the weight of the massassembly or any of its individual elements to the floor, side or endwalls of the carrier.

In Fig. 2 I have shown one arrangement of a group of merchandiseelements assembled and bound together in accordance with my invention.In the arrangement shown as an illustrative arrangement of my invention,a number of merchandise elements are arranged in a row indicated at 1,and extending transverscl across the carrier, such, for instance, as areight car. This row of merchandise elements is spaced slightly apartfrom the end 2 and also from the opposite side walls 5 of the carrier,reference numeral 3 indicating the intervening space between the endwall 2 and the row 1 of merchandise elements and 6 indicating the spaceintervening between the ends of the row of merchandise elements and theside walls 5 of the carrier. The extent .of this displacement of the rowof merchandise elements is dependent more or less upon the character ofthe individual merchandise packages 4 and may range from one or two upto as much as eighteen inches or more. The next succeeding transverserow of merchandise packages, as shown in the illustra tive grouping ofFig. 2 contains preferably one or more individual merchandise packagestherein than are contained in the first row and individual packages ofthe second row are also disposed as to engage between adjacent membersor elements of the first row, or to fit snugly therebetween, as shown.The third row of individual merchandise packages contains in thisillustrative arrangement the same number of individual packages as doesthe first row. The succeeding rows 9. 10, etcetera, in this particularillustrative arrangement contain one more or one less packagesrespectively throughout the entire group.

To the group of units or individual elements of the merchandise packagesor the like thus assembled suitable binders are applied to bind saidelements or members together in an assembly mass to form one unitarygroup. and in a manner to be hereafter described.

It will be understood that any desired number of group assemblies may beprovided for each carrier. Thus, for example,

Cfi

each end of a, frei ht cargo may be provided with an assemble grou eachconsisting of a plurality of individua Ipackages bound together asindicated in ig. 2, and two or more of such assembled groups may bedisposed in each end of the carrier or car, as indicated in Fig. 3.

In order to bind together the individual packages or elementsconstituting a group or mass assembly, one or more binders are appliedaround each entire group or mass assembly. For illustrative purpose Ihave shown in Fig. 1 a single binder 17 applied around the assembledgroup of elements at a point near the base or bottoms thereof, and aplurality of binders 18, 19 and 20, applied around the same grou) at oradjacent the upper end portions 0 the individual elements of the group.My invention, however, is not to be limited or restricted with respectto the number of the binders employed nor with respect to the relativelocations thereof with regard to the height of the individual packages.

The binder may be of an suitable type or character. In the illustrativeform shown, binders in the form of stron round wires are employed. Myinvention, however, is not to be limited or restricted in this respect.

The binders may be maintained in spacedapart relation with respect toeach other in various ways. I have shown a simple spacing or separatingmember 11 suitable for the purpose, and as illustrative of theprinciples involved. This spacing member is best shown in Figs. 5 and 6and may consist of a wire body provided with looped portions 14, 15,formed therein at points spaced apart from each other to conform to thespacial relation of the binders, said binders adapted to be engagedthrough said looped portions when said spacing members are appliedvertically to the packages or binders or such of them as may benecessary or desired to effect the spacing apart of the binders. In thecase of shipping elements consisting of barrels, for instance, thesespacing members are preferably bent in the direction of their length toconform to the exterior vertical curvature of the barrels, and areprovided with turned over hooked portions at their extremities asindicated at 12, having the sharp terminal points 13 adapted to takeinto the upper and lower ends of the barrel. In other words, after thepackages or individual elements composing a group of shipping packageshave been assembled for transportation in a carrier; to form a massassembly, the spacing members 11 are applied to certain ones of theoutermost elements or packages and the lower binder 17 is then threadedthrough the various loops 15 of the separating members. This binder isthen drawn tight around the group assembled shipping elements so as tohold such elements in closely cont abutment against each other, where;ends of said binder are secured maintain the portion of said iencompasses the assembled 1* sion. A suitable knot for which the ends ofthe hind... one form of means for sewn. in surrounding relation to mentsas illustrated at 1.8 p

In like manner, the upper bin ers, one or more of them,

as as illustrated at 18, 19 and 20, are till''rttwu-. through the loop16 of the spacing inemb' Each of such binders, if more than one is employed, is then drawn tight around the assembled mass or group and itsends are likewise secured together so as to maintain such binder appliedaround the group in sufficient tension to retain the individual elementsin the space with respect to each other in the mass assembly, said endsof the binder being then secured together as, for example, by means of.the knots 21, 22 and 23 (Fig. 1).

Machines suitable for effecting the tensioning and securing of the endportions of the binders form no part of the present invention, and arewell known on the market, and therefore will not be specificallydescribed. However, it is convenient to provide a stand or holder forsuch machines to better enable them to perform the functionsrequired inthis character of work, where tying machines are employed. Such a holderis indicated at Fig. 1 and consists of a number of standards, 25, 26separated by a supporting bar 27 which is provided with eyes 28, 29adapted to slide up and down on the standards 25, 26, and to be lockedat any particular height or adjustment, as by thumb screws 30. Thesecuring machines of the particular form shown at 31 (Fig. 1) aresecured to the. bar 27 in any suitable manner, and are'preferablyprovided with levers 32, 33 and 34. These machines receive and hold oneend of a binder, such as 17, for instance, and the binder is then passedby severing cutter and through a twisting pinion (not shown), thenthrough the loops 15 of the spacing members 11 and around the assembledgroup of packages 4 and back through the twister pinion and past thecutters to a tension device such as The lever 34 is then operated todraw the binder tight around the assembled group and to impose anydesired tension upon that portion of the binder which encompasses theassembled group. The desired tension having been thus obtained, thelever 33 is operated to twist together the two end portions ofthebinder. The operation of the lever 32 serves to sever the ends of thebinder 6, leaving the knot 18 with its ends cut off close to theterminal portions of the knot.

As above indicated, one or any desired number of binders may be appliedto the assembled group and at any desired point in the vertical lengthof the assembled packages. In practice, and usually, the assembled groupelements rest upon the floor of the carrier and are thus held more orless by friction from shifting movement while the upper ends or portionsof the packages are free to move; that is said upper ends are notsubjected to the restraining influence of friction and hence, by reasonof impacts imposed by shocks, jars and jolts of the carrier, the upperportions of the packages are apt to receive greater strains than do thelower portions thereof. It is for this reason that ordinarily it isreferable to employ more binders at or ad acent the upper portions ofthe packages than at the lower portions thereof. Of course, the numberof wires at either the top or bottom or adjacent thereto of theindividual packages will depend largely upon the size and character ofthe package itself and upon the strength of the binder employed.Ordinarily one good sized side binder such as would be applied by a No.8 or a No. 9 gauge wire will usually be sufficient, and two or threesuch binders of like size or of a somewhat smaller size will besuflicient for the up er portions of the merchandise elements in thecase, for instance, of barrels. It is to be understood, of course, thatthe dimensions and numbers of binders and their special relation withrespect to each other will largely depend in each case upon thecharacter of the merchandise as well as upon the size and character ofthe packages.

After all of the individual units or members 4 that are to make up amass assembly have been thus assembled and bound together in the mannerdescribed, the objections above noted are very largely overcome andavoided, of injury and damage to the merchandise in shipment, and thecost of the time and labor required in methods heretofore employed areeliminated quite largely and the safe shipment of the merchandiseaccomplished, without injury thereto or without injury to the carrierwithin which the shipment is made. That is to say I have found by veryextensive actual and practical use of the method and arrangement abovedescribed, that by binding together a plurality of packages assembledinto a mass and by providing a plurality of such mass as semblies in acarrier, it has been observed by actual use and operation that when thecarrier receives a severe shock or jolt, the assembled groups move, ifat all, very slowly.

Such groups are of course unattached, and the only restraining influenceon the movement of the group is the weight thereof actin in frictionalcontact with the floor or si e Walls of the carrier. In other words,

while the group is free to move, it is ordinarily restrained fromexcessive movement by its own mass weight and by binding the packagescomposing each group together into a mass assembly, relative movement ofthe individual elements is prevented to a large extent as compared tothe movements of unbound packages with respect to each other. Thetendency of the individual elements of a group to move independently ofthe other or adjacent elements, in the group arrangement thereof asillustrated in Fig. 2, tends to wedge each individual element of thegroup into the space between the two adjacent elements thereofimmediately in advance of it, thereby tending to extend the length ofthe respective rows of assembled units. To make this clear, we mayconsider, for example, the individual packages'40, 41, in Fig. 2. Shouldthe inertia of these individual members of the assembled group beovercome, by a shock or jar, tending to move them towards the left, forinstance, as viewed in Fig. 2, the package 40 will tend to spread apartthe packages 43, 4, as shown in said view, and the package 41 would tendto wedge in between the elements 4 and 44 of the row. Likewise package45 of the third row would tend to wedge in between packages 46 and 40 ofthe next row in advance thereof, and individual package 47 wouldlikewise tend to wedge in between packages 41 and 48. These varioussmall actions of the individual packages within the group will, ofcourse, be resisted by the binders applied and tensioned around theentire group. Thus there is provided a somewhat elastic binding togetherof the members composing the group into a mass assembly which assemblyis free to move, if necessary, with reference to the carrier under theinfluence of exceptionally heavy shocks or jars, thereby relieving theindividual packages of merchandise to free them of the danger of injuryfrom impact the one upon another or against the side or end walls of thecarrier, the spaces between the assembled and bound group and the endand side walls of the carrier being ordinarily sufflcient to permit ofany shifting movement of the assembly.

\Vhen there is a plurality of'group assemblies disposed in the same car,as indicated at A, B and C, in Fig. 3 the same action takes place withrespect to the various groups and with respect to the individualelements composing each group, with the result that the more carrier isjolted, the more settled and uniformly fixed will the individualelements of each group become within its own group. Accordingly, thedanger of crushing or injuring individual packages of the various groupsbecomes less and less.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I provide a certain degree ofelasticity in the assembling and grouping and securing together of theelements, and with respect to the movements of the various groups ofelements, which elasticity I have found of great benefit and advantage;and actual use and practice of the method and arrangement described hasshown that merchandise packages can be shipped through long distancesunder very trying circumstances without any damage to the goods at all,while packages not so assembled and bound into a mass assegnbly would bevery considerably damaged,

It will be seen that this method of loading packages in carriers in theform of mass assemblies each consisting of a plurality of merchandisepackages bound together into a group which is free from securement orattachment as a group is substantiall the opposite of the method ofloading pac ages as heretofore employed. That is to say, in the usualprior methods of loading the purpose has been to fix or secure theindividual packages as rigidly or as firmly in the carrier and initiallyto the carrier as possible, and in order to render the same as immovableas possible, it has beencustomary to use a considerable weight of boardsand timbers or of other devices of different sizes and shapes to rigidlyaflix the freight or packages so that all friction due to any movementbetween the individual packages and the carrier will be reduced to aminimum. Not only are such boards and timbers relatively expensive, asis well known to those skilled in the art,'but they are of considerableweight, thereby adding materially to the cost of transportation of themerchandise. Moreover, as above indicated, they impose considerableinjury upon the carrier itself, besides involving considerable labor ininstalling them and removing them from the car at the end of thejourney. In the present method of loading, however, while the individualpackages of Inerchan disc are prevented from freely moving relatively toeach other in the group into which they are assembled and bound, yet thegroup itself when assembled and bound together is capable of moving as awhole, being restrained solely by its own group weight. This is just theopposite of prior procedure. Further, any slight individual movements ofthe individual elements of a group tends to expand the group itself andforce the individual elements composing the group toward the sides ofthe carrier against the resilient resistance of the binders, so that anyshocks imparted thereto will be absorbed within the assembled groupitself, and assimilated by the various individual packages or elementsof the group, thereby protecting the individual elements from llljllly.As above indicated, my invention is not to be limited or restricted withrespect to the character of the merchandise nor of the size or characterof the packages into which such merchandise is carried; nor is myinvention to be limited or restricted with reference to the particularmethod shown of assembling the units or individual elements into a massassembly or group, as the advantages of my invention are equally wellattainable in other forms of assembly than that shown. It will also beobserved that my invention is applicable to merchandise packages ingeneral. It is specially appiicable to rolls of print or other papers,to rolls of roofing material, rectangular or cylindrical containers ofvarious kinds, as well as to a host of other objects or forms ofpackaged merchandise or of merchandise of various kinds which may not bepackage-d.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of theprocedure as well as the arrangement of the parts of the unit withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, and therefore itis not desired to be limited to the foregoing disclosure, except as maybe required by the claims.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention, and themethod of use thereof, and arrangements for carrying the same intoeffect, what I claim as new and useful, of my own invention and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of preventing damage during transit to shipping packagesdue to shocks imparted to said packages and the resulting compressiveactions exerted by one movable package on another, which consists inbinding a plurality of individual packages together into wedgingrelation with respect to each other to form a freely movable shippingunit wherein a portion of any shock transmitted thereto will be absorbedin a tendency to move apart from each other the individual packages ofthe bound unit.

2. The method of preventing damage during transit to shipping packagesdue to shocks imparted to said packages and the resulting compressiveactions exerted by one movable package on another, which consists inbinding a plurality of individual packages together into wedg'ingrelation to form a movable shipping unit of sufficient aggregate massweight to remain stationary under lighter shocks and wherein a portionof any shock received thereby will be absorbed in a tendency to move theindividual packages of said bound unit apart.

3. The method of preventing damage during transit on cars to shippingpackages due to shocks imparted to said cars and the resultingcompressive actions exerted by one movable package on another whichconsists in binding a plurality of said packages together in a wedgingrelation to form a movable shipping unit on the car, and disposing saidunit so it can move during transit, whereby lighter shocks will fall tomove said unit and heavier shocks will be partially absorbed in atendency to separate the bound packages.

4-. The method of preventing damage during shipment to individualpackages which consists in binding a plurality of said packages togetheron the car to form a movable shipping unit of a weight sufiicient toremain stationary under lighter shocks but to move under heavier shocks,and disposing said unit at such a distance from the end of the car aswill permit it to move relatively to the car end when said heaviershocks are received.

The method of preventing damage during shipment to individual packageswhich consists in binding a plurality of said packages together on thecar in successive rows extending transversely of the car to form amovable shipping unit resting on the bottom of the car and of a weightsufiicientto remain stationary under lighter shocks but to move underheavier shocks, and disposing said unit at such a distance from the endof the car as will permit it to move relatively to the car end when saidheavier shocks are received.

6. The method of preventing damage during shipment to individualpackages of a curved exterior shape which consists in binding aplurality of said packages together on the car into wedging relation toeach other to form a movable shipping unit restin on the bottom of thecar and of a weight su cient to remain stationar under lighter shocksbut to move under heavier shocks, and disposing said unit at such adistance from the end of the car as will permit it to move relatively tothe car end when said heavier shocks are received.

7. The herein described shipping unit consisting of a plurality ofindependent vertically disposed packages bound together and adapted torest on and move over the bottom of a car, the said unit being of suchweight as to remain stationary under lighter shocks but to moverelatively to the car end when heavier shocks are received.

8. The herein described shipping unit consisting of a plurality ofindependent curved packages bound together in a wedging relation andadapted to rest on and move over the bottom of a car, the said unitbeing of such a weight as to remain stationary under lighter shocks butto move relatively to the car when heavier shocks are received.

9. The herein described shipping unit consisting of a plurality ofindependent packages bound together at their tops and hottoms to form asingle unit and adapted to rest endwise in vertical position on and moveover the bottom of a car, the said unit being of such a weight as toremain stationary under lighter shocks but to move relatively to the carwhen heavier shocks are received.

10. The herein described shipping unit consisting of a plurality ofshipping packages bound together at their tops and bottoms by wiresprovided with holding means to form a single movable unit; said unitadapted to be disposed on the. floor of a car adjacent to one end of thelatter and being of such a weight that only abnormally heavy shocks willmove the same relatively to the car.

11. The herein described shipping unit consisting of a plurality ofshipping packages curved in cross section and bound together at theirtops and bottoms into wedging relation by wires provided with holdingmeans to form a sin le movable unit; said unit adapted to be disposed onthe floor of a car ad acent to one end of the latter and being of suchweight that only abnormally heavy shocks will move the same relativelyto the car end.

12. The combination of a plurality of individual units of merchandise,cargo or the like disposed in vertical position and in wedgmg relation,for shipment in cars, vehicles and other carriers, a binder appliedaround said units to hold the same in a unitary mass assembly capable ofmovement as a mass assembly with reference to the carrier, said binderadapted to be tensioned around said mass assembly to hold the indi- 100vidual packages in elastic contact with each other and against unduerelative separation.

13. The method which consists in assembling a lurality of verticallydisposed units of mere andise, cargo or the like for ship- 105 ment ortransportation, into a mass or group assembly, an then binding such massor group assembly under elastic tension to hold the individual unitsthereof in yielding contact with each other but permitting the 110movement of the mass assembly as a unit.

14. The method of securing merchandise, cargo or the like, to preventdamage or injury during carrier transit, which consists in indingtogether under elastic tension'a 115 plurality of individual units ofthe m'erchandise or cargo .to form an unattached unitary mass assemblycapable of free movement as a mass and of suliicient mass weighttoenable its inertia to resist undue movement thereof under theinfluence of shocks and jars imparted to the carrier, and wherein theindividual units are disposed in wedging relation to each other and arethereby restrained from undue separating movement relatively to andapart rom each other in the mass assembly.

15. The combination of a plurality of individual units of merchandise,cargo or the like vertically disposed in wedging relation to each other,and binding means applied thereto under tension to hold the samerestrained against individual relative move ment in an unattachedmovable unitary mass assembly of sufiicient weight to resist furthermovement of the mass as a whole.

16. In a transit carrier the combination of a plurality of individualmerchandise packages individually disconnected from each other andadapted to be assembled into a vertically disposed unitary groupassembly, a plurality of binders applied horizontally and held undertension in encompassing relation around the vertically disposed unitaryassembly or group to hold the same in an unattached mass unit assembly,and the free individual packages against relative movement within theassembly and a plurality of separators to hold the said binders inseparated relation with respect to each other.

17. In a transit carrier, the combination of a plurality of freeindividual merchandise packages adapted to be assembled into avertically disposed unitary mass, assembly or group within the carrier;a plurality of horizontally disposed binders encompassing the unitarygroup assembly as a whole at vertically separated or spaced apart oints,and a lura ity of vertically dispose separators a 'ing means to receiveand hold said binders in spaced apart relation to each other.

18. In a cargo shipment, the combination of a plurality of individualrelatively free merchandise packages adapted to be assembled togetherinto a unitary mass assembly, a plurality of horizontally disposedbinders applied under tension in encompassing relation around theassembled unitary mass as a whole at vertically spaced apart points withrespect to the same, to maintain the individual merchandise packages inan unattached movable mass assembly, and means to retain said binders inspaced apart relation.

19. The method of preventing damage during transit to individually freeshipping packages, due to the compressive actions exerted by one freemovable package on another, which consists in vertically disposing andhorizontally binding a plurality of said packages together in a massassembly unit sufficiently large to resist by its inertia, any ordinarymovements during transit, and

in which the individual packages are bound too tightly together to admitof substantial movement relatively to each other and independently ofsaid unit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEROY F. HINTZ.

